This gorgeous ruler was created specifically for digital designers

This gorgeous ruler was created specifically for digital designers

There’s a ton of niche design objects that have been tossed up onto Kickstarter for funding, but every now and again, there’s one that will really catch your eye. Case in point, this high-end, designer ruler.

The Lindlund is billed as a ruler for creative types and designers. Its Swedish creators, Jens Marklund and Axel Lindmarker say that while they worked on various projects, they were often rotate through a bunch of specialty rulers, each with different measurements on them.

Jens Marklund

“We have really precise (and pricey) rulers that are only used for measurements,” Marklund told The Verge, “but since they are made out of thin plastic film, you’d have to use a second ruler for cutting. The ones we liked the sizes of were either too basic, made out of plastic or flimsy steel, and would slip if you tried cutting with them.”

Their solution was to design their own ruler, one that included several different measurements, with an eye towards digital design. “The idea of the ruler came from the simple premise of ‘if you can’t find it, then make it’,” explains Marklund.

In addition to the regular English and Metric scales, they’ve included picas and pixels. (12 inches, 30 centimeters, 72 picas, and 1800 pixels). The pair wanted the tool to be useful for digital designers, so they’ve included markings specifically for iPhone and iPad screens.

“If you can’t find it, then make it”

The project’s Kickstarter page outlines the various features that make up this particular instrument. It has a rubber back, and the measurements are lined up in such a way that makes creating 90 degree angles easy.

Jens Marklund

The middle has a slot that contains the picas and pixel measurements, and is designed so that most pen tips will fit inside. It’s also constructed out of sturdy anodized aluminum, so that it won’t be easily damaged by cutting. Backers get their choice of black or silver.

Marklund says that they’ve thought through their production process, and partnered with a specialty ruler manufacturer to construct their product, and that they’re looking into a secondary supplier just in case.

The fact that the ruler is a simple product, he explains, will make it easier for them to “produce the final rulers well within our timeframe.”

The project has almost doubled its Kickstarter goal, and delivery is estimated for September 2017.